Abstract
This paper presents novel worldwide evidence on the evolution of the gender gap in education over the past six decades. In every region of the world, I find that the gender gap increases from 1950 to 1975 and then decreases from 1975 to 2005. This path creates a puzzle since the existing explanations for the post- 1975 boom in the higher education of women are not fully consistent with this evidence. To solve this puzzle, I highlight the missing element in the literature: the different nature of the forces behind the increases in the demand for education in the two periods.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 150-185 |
Number of pages | 36 |
Journal | Journal of Human Capital |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |